Nairobi, Feb. 12 -- Kenya's imports of manufacturing supplies crossed a record Sh1 trillion mark in 2025, underscoring rising demand for production inputs even as the country's overall trade deficit widened, provisional official data shows.

Fresh provisional data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) indicate that the value of imports of non-food industrial supplies climbed to Sh1.017 trillion in the year to December 2025, up from Sh934.3 billion recorded in the prior year.

This reflects increased purchases of raw materials and intermediate goods used by firms, highlighting renewed activity in sectors reliant on imported inputs, including construction, processing, and light manufacturing.

The rise in orders, however, pile...